Lexical Summary lu: If only, Oh that, Would that Original Word: לוּא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance if haply, peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God that Or lu {loo}; or luw {loo}; a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. As a wish) would that! -- if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. conjunction Definition if, oh that NASB Translation if (8), if only (4), Oh (4), please (1), would (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs לֻא 2 Samuel 18:12 Kt (Qr לוּ) if: see לוּ. לאב (√ of following, compare Arabic לוּ17 and לוּא ( 1 Samuel 14:30; Isaiah 48:18; Isaiah 63:19), also לֻא (Qr לוּ), 2 Samuel 18:12; 2 Samuel 19:7 (Arabic conjunction if, O that: — 1 if (stating a case which has not been, or is not likely to be, realized): a. followed by perfect (so mostly), Deuteronomy 32:29 לו חכמו ישׂכילו זאת if they had been wise (which they are not), they would understand this; Micah 2:11 (apodosis וְהָיָה); Judges 8:19; Judges 13:23 להמיתנו לא לקח לו ׳חפץ י if J. had desired to slay us, he would not have taken, &c.; 1 Samuel 14:30; 2 Samuel 19:7. b. followed by imperfect Ezekiel 14:15 if I were to send, &c. (but read probably אוֺ, compare Ezekiel 14:17; Ezekiel 14:19). c. followed by participle, 2 Samuel 18:12 וְלֻא אָנֹכִי שֹׁקֵל and though I should be weighing 1000 pieces of silver upon my hand, I would not, &c.; Psalm 81:14-17 לו עמי שֹׁמֵעַ לי if my people were hearkening to me, . . . quickly would I bow down, &c. d. followed by יֵשׁ Job 16:4. — With the apodosis omitted, Genesis 50:15 לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ if Joseph were to hate us (how should we fare then ?). 2 If only ...! i.e. O that! would that! (compare εἰ γάρ, εἴθε) usually followed by perf., as Numbers 14:2 (twice in verse) לוּ מַתְנוּ if only we had died in the land of Egypt! Numbers 20:3; Joshua 7:7 וְלוּ הוֺאַלְנוּ וַנֵּשֶׁב Isaiah 48:18; Isaiah 63:19; followed by יֵשׁ Numbers 22:29; followed by imperfect Genesis 17:18 לו יחיה O that Ishmael might live before thee! Job 6:2; followed by jussive Genesis 30:34 כדברך לו יהי; followed by imperative Genesis 23:13 אם אתה לוּ שׁמעני if thou — O that thou wouldst hear me! (+ probably Genesis 23:5 לאמר ׃ לוּ שׁמעני for ׳לאמרֹ לוֺ ׃ שׁ, and similarly Genesis 23:15). — Read also probably לֻא for Masoretic לֹא Judges 21:22 (with כִּי עַתָּה), 1 Samuel 13:13; 1 Samuel 20:14 (twice in verse); Job 9:33 (followed by יֵשׁ); and perhaps Job 14:4 (Ew Kö). Topical Lexicon Summary of Usage The particle occurs twenty-two times, each time carrying an intense wish, longing, or regret that the speaker projects onto an unrealized possibility. It is never casual; it always heightens emotion, whether that emotion is godly compassion, human intercession, bitter complaint, or sober reflection. Personal Longing and Intercession • Genesis 17:18 – Abraham pleads, “If only Ishmael might live under Your blessing!”, revealing paternal love subordinated to divine promise. These texts teach believers to bring deepest desires to the Lord while submitting to His sovereignty. Corporate Complaint or Crisis Speech “ If only we had died in Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!” the Israelites cry in Numbers 14:2 (repeated in Numbers 20:3). Joshua echoes the same note after Achan’s sin (Joshua 7:7). The particle frames collective panic that forgets God’s past deliverance. Preachers often use these episodes to warn against nostalgia for bondage and against letting fear rewrite redemptive history. Ethical Reflection and Regret Genesis 50:15 pictures Joseph’s brothers dreading retribution: “If Joseph bears a grudge against us, he will surely repay us for all the evil we did to him.” David’s officers employ the particle twice during Absalom’s revolt (2 Samuel 18:12; 19:6), exposing conflicted loyalties in leadership. Job weighs his anguish (Job 6:2) and longs for a mediator (Job 9:33), a theme fulfilled in the New Testament’s High Priest. Such verses demonstrate that regret can drive either destructive self-pity or constructive repentance, depending on whether one turns to the Lord. Divine Lament for Covenant Faithfulness Deuteronomy 32:29: “If only they were wise, they would understand; they would discern their end.” Psalm 81:13: “If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,” Isaiah 48:18: “If only you had paid attention to My commandments…” Here the particle reveals God’s heart: He genuinely longs for His people’s welfare and obedience. This longing is not weakness but holy desire consistent with justice; it magnifies grace by showing what could have been if Israel had listened. Prophetic Warning and Satire Ezekiel 14:15 and Micah 2:11 use the construction hypothetically to unveil judgment or expose false prophecy. Micah mocks popular religion: If someone preached “of wine and of strong drink,” he would be “just the preacher for this people!” The wish particle thus becomes a rhetorical spotlight, forcing hearers to see their folly. Narratives of Mercy and Providence Judges 13:23 – Manoah’s wife comforts her husband with reasoned faith: if God had meant to kill them, He would not have accepted their offering. Balaam’s rage (Numbers 22:29) and Gideon’s revenge (Judges 8:19) contrast sinful impulses with divine restraint. Each scene underscores providence overruling human passion. Theological Significance 1. It exposes the gap between human perception and divine reality, inviting prayerful alignment with God’s will. Ministry Implications • Pastoral counseling can encourage believers to voice honest “if only” prayers, then guide them to trust the Lord’s wiser plan. Spiritual Formation Meditating on passages that contain this particle trains the conscience to recognize misplaced nostalgia, sanctifies ambition by yoking it to obedience, and fosters empathy for God’s own longing that His children walk in blessing. Conclusion Wherever it appears, this small Hebrew particle turns the spotlight on the heart—divine or human—and calls readers to weigh what might have been against what God still promises to accomplish. Forms and Transliterations וְל֥וּ וְל֨וּא וְלוּ֙ ולו ולוא ל֖וּ ל֗וּ ל֚וּ ל֣וּ ל֤וּ ל֤וּ־ ל֥וּ ל֥וּא לֹ֣א לֽוּ־ לא לו לוּ֩ לוּ־ לוּא֩ לו־ לוא lo lō lu lū lū- veLu wə·lū wəlūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 17:18 HEB: אֶל־ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים ל֥וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל יִחְיֶ֥ה NAS: to God, Oh that Ishmael KJV: unto God, O that Ishmael INT: to God Oh Ishmael live Genesis 23:13 Genesis 30:34 Genesis 50:15 Numbers 14:2 Numbers 14:2 Numbers 20:3 Numbers 22:29 Deuteronomy 32:29 Joshua 7:7 Judges 8:19 Judges 13:23 1 Samuel 14:30 2 Samuel 18:12 2 Samuel 19:6 Job 6:2 Job 9:33 Job 16:4 Psalm 81:13 Isaiah 48:18 Ezekiel 14:15 Micah 2:11 22 Occurrences |
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(medial 
) be thirsty, 
a stony tract of land (see WetzstReisebericht 99)). 
, Aramaic 
, לְוַי, Mishna לְוַי, Assyrian lû, with optative force, Dl§§ 78 end, 93, 145; compare Köii. 333),